


No Ordinary Love

by lunaschild2016



Category: Divergent - All Media Types, Divergent Series - Veronica Roth
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Mild Kink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:41:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23121922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaschild2016/pseuds/lunaschild2016
Summary: Theirs was not an ordinary love. After all, you aren't supposed to fall in love with someone you consider family even you don't share the same blood. But they were in each other's veins too deep. They only had one night together. One night to be shameless and to finally act on the feelings that had haunted them for longer than either could admit. Afterward, the only thing that was left was to pick up the pieces. Eric/OC AU No Divergents No War
Relationships: Eric (Divergent)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	1. Part 1 - Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is heavily influenced by the music that has inspired the different stages of Eric and Lacey's relationship and each part. For the story title, I was inspired during editing the story to change the title from Take Your Time to No Ordinary Love by Sade. For the first part itself, Pieces by Andrew Belle. I will try to put a note for each part for those interested.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any but my own original characters and the mischief I have them make. V Roth owns everything else.

**Part 1- Pieces**

* * *

> **_There's too much smoke to see it_ **
> 
> **_There's too much broke too feel this_ **
> 
> **_Well, I love you, I love you_ **
> 
> **_And all of your pieces_ **
> 
> * * *

**_Eric_ **

Eric cradled the young woman closer to his body as they huddled together. The slight shelter the formation of boulders and the crag in the rocks they were currently in provided some protection from the storm raging around them. If he could mentally will some warmth into her he would will it all. Every single ounce he had. He would gladly give it all.

“We were able to get the call for help out. They’ll be coming soon.” He murmured close to her face where he held her pressed against his chest. “You just have to hang in there for me, Lacey. Do you hear me? You need to stay with me.” He tried to command her but it came out broken and harsh from the tears threatening to break free.

She groaned but didn’t reply. Eric knew she was fading. Lacey’s lips were tinged with blue and her skin was like ice from rapidly losing what little body heat she had. He was losing her and it was all his fucking fault. “Baby please.” He whispered harshly against her cheek and the tears he had been holding back finally break free but it’s too cold and they seem to freeze in place, joining with the rest of the frozen spots on his skin.

His training and survival skills tell him that moving might help and he found himself rocking her in his arms, hoping that it will stimulate her enough to wake up. He needed to do something, to busy himself so he didn’t feel so helpless or give in to the grief and pain that threatens to consume him.

All those years wasted with a million excuses that he used to stop him from admitting his feelings and crossing every line he believed stood in the way of them ever being together. He had always loved her, that much he never denied. What he did deny was how deep that love went. What it really meant to and for him. It took this storm and the events that brought them to this moment for him to realize there was nothing wrong or shameful about how he felt or what he wanted with her. 

If only he had realized this before it was too late. Before he made the biggest mistake of his life and allowed her to come with him when he left the shelter of the truck to radio for help. But he had just been so damned relieved she was okay after the accident where the transport they were in lost control on a patch of black ice and flipped over twice. She looked fine, a little banged up, but able to walk away with only minor scratches. 

When the crash happened it wasn’t his own life that flashed before his eyes, it was hers. She was all he could think of and he sent up prayers that him ordering her to strap in would be enough to keep her safe. He couldn’t help but be thankful that he insisted on it so much that he even secured her himself. She gave him lip about it, of course, and insisted that if she had to be belted in that he needed to be too. 

That was how the two of them made it out of it in the best condition to make the hike and get high enough to make the call for help. There had been too much interference where the transport had ended up after the crash. The canyons and small mountains for this sector of Amity resided didn’t always provide the most reliable signal. He knew that the only way to get a signal out would be to make it to higher ground.

Eric should have known that just because she looked fine didn’t mean she was fine. 

He also hadn’t accounted for a goddamn blizzard to roll through. Not when a small snowfall was predicted after he checked the weather status before leaving Amity. The storm slowed them down and made the hike much harder on her. About halfway into it, when they were too far to turn back but still had so much further to go, her condition changed and she all but passed out. He could only press on and carried her while she cried in pain and couldn’t walk anymore. He did his best to remain calm so he could make the call and then find them shelter where they could hunker down and wait. 

“They have our position, baby. They’ll get here in time.” He refused to think they wouldn’t. He also knew if they didn’t make it in time to save her then they might as well let him die on this fucking rock with Lacey because there would be nothing left for him.

Why had he fought so hard against what he felt, what they both felt, and wasted so much time? At the time the reasons had seemed so important, so insurmountable. Lacey had been in his life from the time he transferred to Dauntless. He was sixteen and she was just nine. He watched her grow up. 

She was family to him. 

Her sister, Henley, was Dauntless-born and became one of his best friends when he transferred and they were initiates together. Deacon was his other best friend and he transferred over from Erudite with Eric. Henley and Deacon fell in love during initiation and married shortly after it finished. They formed their own family then and included Eric into it. 

There was always this connection between him and Lacey that felt separate, different, than the one he shared with his two best friends. He considered them his brother and sister in all but blood. As time passed his feelings for Lacey changed from how they started. His role changed from protector and friend but he never thought he could or would do more than love her from afar and watch as she grew from an amazing girl into a beautiful young woman. He couldn’t risk losing her or his family and was positive that would happen if he did anything about how he felt, so he never tried for anything. 

When it came down to it, when it mattered most, Eric Coulter the most feared Dauntless leader, was a coward. 

Eric cups the side of her face and strokes his thumb over her cheek as he loses himself in memories of her, of them. His mind drifts back to when it all began. 

**_~~No Ordinary Love~~_ **

Visiting day of Eric’s initiation. 

Eric didn’t want to go. He had no reason to go to the Pit where all the friends and families of the initiates would be waiting to meet up. His family would be unable to make it and they had agreed before he ever transferred to wait until after he finished initiation and got settled before they would visit. 

Henley is insisting that he join her and Deacon in the pit where her younger brother and sister will be waiting for her. Henley was right. They are there. _She’s_ there. 

Lacey stands proudly in the pit, with her back straight and her chin squared. Wade, their younger brother has his hand clenched tightly in hers. Her rich chestnut hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail but even with it up like that it hangs all the way down her back. The sisters resemble each other enough that Eric can tell Lacey will one day be as pretty as Henley is. Maybe even more so with her unusual eyes. 

It was the first thing that he noticed about her since they are completely different than her older sister's chocolate brown. Lacey’s are a warm, melting caramel color. The pupil is ringed by a light green while the iris is ringed by darker green. It was apparently a trait that skipped Henley but both her younger siblings shared from some grandparent on the dad’s side. Eric would come to find later on that those greens expand or shrink depending on her mood and would tell him more about her feelings than she would ever let show or voice. 

The second thing he noticed was the pride and intelligence radiating in her eyes. He almost got so lost in them that he failed to notice the bruising along her cheekbone and that was exactly what she wanted. Eric wasn’t the only one that didn’t see it right away. When Henley finally noticed all cheerful greetings stopped and she went quiet before hissing out to her sister, demanding to know what happened. There was something in his friend's tone that suggested she already knew what happened. 

Henley never mentioned why she was so worried about how her siblings were doing but it was clear there was some kind of tension at home. He didn’t think it was abuse...but it was something.

Lacey just looked her sister square in the eyes, chin lifted, and lied through her teeth. She told Henley she had gotten in a fight at school. It was a completely plausible story and he could have accepted it, but for two things. Tiny things that neither Henley or Deacon picked up on but Eric did. Her eyes changed as she told this lie. The bright green flared in them right when she squeezed her brother's hand tightly and he looked like he was about to say something. But he didn’t and he looked away from the group to stare at the ground while shuffling his feet.

“What was the fight about, Lace?” Henley asked in concern. 

“The usual. Dad’s a drunk. Mom’s a whore. It’s nothing new, Henley. Nothing I haven’t grown thick skin against.”

Eric found it interesting how intelligently she responded, using a bit of the truth so that her sister would be more likely to believe it. While it gave him insight into her home life and the reason his friend was always so worried about Lacey and Wade, he knew there was more to this story and he found he needed to know.

“Then why did you fight about it?” He ground out the words, eyes narrowed in anger because he could guess what really happened.

She locked eyes with him while he tried to intimidate the answer from her. She never gave in though and didn’t answer. That little nine-year-old girl stood her ground against Eric, who was already gaining a reputation for his intimidation tactics and his training wasn’t even done yet. 

Henley broke the tension, clearly embarrassed by her sister's revelation of their home life, and suggested they all head to the dining hall to eat and have some cake.

He didn’t understand why he was so agitated...why he felt so protective of a girl he just met. His friendship with Henley couldn’t explain everything. Maybe it was because Lacey and Wade were the exact same age as his youngest brother and sister? 

Maybe that was why he made the vow he made as he sat across from them at the dining hall table to always care for them. To always protect them. 

To protect _her._

_**~~No Ordinary Love~~** _

Eric almost broke the promises he made to her and himself.

He couldn’t do much for her while he was still in initiation and right after that, he went straight into his training for leadership. He began working non-stop in an effort to achieve the rank of a full leader. He had the goal to become the youngest Dauntless leader and to do so in the quickest time of any leader before him. Henley was just as busy in the clinic being trained as a nurse. Something that was in short supply and that meant long hours for her too. Instead of going back to live with her parents, she moved in with Deacon with Lacey and Wade's blessing and her younger sister's insistence for some reason that neither shared with Eric. So much slipped their notice but Lacey was very good about not letting on that anything out of the normal for them was going on.

It was normal for their Dad to be absent most of the time just like it was normal for her mom to make even fewer appearances than he did. They were both well-known drunks. The father did just enough of his duties in Dauntless so he didn’t get in trouble and he would receive his pay so he could support his habit. And the mother, she earned enough for her’s by having _‘friends’_ that were willing to _‘gift’_ her for the privilege of her company. No matter how disgusting Eric found the entire situation neither of them were doing anything illegal and as long as her father did his job and her mother’s real activities weren’t being reported, Eric’s hands were tied.

It wasn’t until he noticed Lacey behaving oddly and looking sick that he realized something was wrong.

The first time he saw Lacey slink into the dining hall he didn’t think anything was really wrong. He only found it slightly odd that she kept to the shadows and mixed in with a big group so she could avoid detection until she made it to the kitchen doors. He watched as she knocked then waited until someone came out to speak to her. They disappeared back into the kitchen for a minute or so then came back out with a small box that they gave to her. She scampered off faster than he could react to find out what might be in the box, but at the time he suspected it was nothing more than some cake. Dependents were well known for frequently attempting to wheedle the famous Dauntless cake from some of the pushover cooks. Some were more successful than others but in general, they weren’t ever refused. Hell, Uriah Pedrad once managed to talk one of the cooks into giving him an _entire_ sheet cake pan full of cake and Lacey has always been much more charming and persuasive than that little pest could ever be. 

So who could blame him for thinking that’s what Lacey was up to? Who could blame him for thinking that she had been getting some cake for herself and her brother as a treat? Henley had once mentioned that it often took finding ways to motivate Wade to get him to do his homework. Eric hadn’t realized at the time that school had already been dismissed for their yearly break. 

It wasn’t until he saw her doing the same thing almost two weeks after the first time that he knew there was something else going on. He got a better look at her, a closer look than from the far side of the room and with so many people in between them. He noticed things that he couldn’t before. Like how she seemed to have lost weight, the dark circles under her eyes, and how weak she seemed.

Eric knew he needed to get answers about what was going on. He couldn’t approach Henley without worrying her and if he confronted Lacey she would just lie just like she had previously the few times they had spoken. 

So where should he start?

He went to the kitchen staff first since they seemed to know something about the situation and her being there to get anything besides cake was cause enough for him to start with them anyway.

While dependants aren’t barred from eating in the dining hall it is also very rare that they do. The people that generally eat there are the single adults, initiates during that time of year, or people who are on duty and just grabbing a quick meal on their breaks. Meals in the dining hall are free but the menu is limited and often is a first come first serve basis for the popular items. Dauntless also has a few places in the main compound where food can be purchased, ready-made, by points. Things like deli sandwiches, burgers or pizza are things that are primarily sold. It was more common to see kids in one of those places by themselves or with their families than it was in the dining hall. 

Because the family living quarters are located in another building that is at least a fifteen-minute walk from the main compound where the dining hall is located it was impractical for them to take the majority of their meals there. Family housing is equipped with full kitchens in the flats and Dauntless has stores where they can buy and stock up on food to prepare their meals.

Eric found that his reputation is both a blessing and a curse. Even the staff in the kitchen had become aware of him and knew how hard Eric could be, how ruthless he was, to those who crossed him. While the cooks and staff could be pushovers he also found out first hand they could be fiercely loyal and brave. They hadn’t wanted to tell him anything that could get Lacey into trouble. No amount of intimidation or veiled threats could get anything from them. Eventually, they told him everything but it took him admitting to them how much he cared for Lacey for them to believe he wouldn't be punishing her. It turned out that Lacey was getting food from the kitchens at least twice a day, from whatever they had readily available and of what they could spare.

The next question he needed to get an answer to was why Lacey and Wade weren’t eating meals at home. Why was she having to go to the dining hall to get meals from there instead of making them something or at the very least going to grab something from one of the ready-made places? It took him using the master key and physically investigating the apartment before he got an answer and even then all he discovered was there was absolutely no food to be found in the flat. Not even a single jar of condiments one would usually find even if everything else had already been eaten. Even Eric’s apartment had those and he never ate there since being given the apartment after initiation. 

At this point, Eric was debating with himself on if he wanted to include Henley when he confronted Lacey about things but he decided he couldn’t. He knew she would feel responsible and guilty for not realizing sooner how bad things were and she was already under so much pressure and stressed out from work. But if Eric was being completely honest with himself he didn’t _want_ to bring her into it. He wanted to be the one to deal with things. Besides, he had a feeling that his investigating what was going on with Lacey would lead to bigger issues and he needed to be able to handle them in his own way. 

There would come a time he would feel that he had never hoped to be wrong about something as much as he did about what he found. But that was a few months in the future.

One morning he ambushed Lacey at her apartment, letting himself in and waiting for her to return from one of her early morning excursions to the kitchens. He learned she would go there at 5 am to help take out the trash, clean, and just get ready for the day in general in exchange for food. 

It was during this confrontation that he found out the true extent of how bad things had gotten.

By this time it was going on two months that they had no food in the apartment and couldn’t get anything from the stores either because she was cut off from being able to access any of the accounts her parents had for things like that. At first, it was because the points account for both parents was empty when she attempted to buy food at the store. Then it was because her father put a block on anyone being able to use the accounts besides him after he gave the excuse that it was actually Lacey and Wade that had burned through the points without him knowing about it. 

It wasn’t as bad for them when they went to school. The lack of food in the apartment was offset by the fact that they could eat there at least for breakfast and lunch. That left Lacey only needing to find things for dinner. When school was dismissed for the year she had been forced to find enough to feed them both at least three times a day and there was never enough to do that, so what she did gather she gave to Wade and went without herself. 

He couldn’t understand why she didn’t just tell someone what was going on and she wouldn’t give him a straight answer why she hadn’t, but he got the impression she was equal parts scared to say anything and also too proud to admit that something was wrong. Eric put a stop to that shit right then and there, even though it was like pulling teeth to get Lacey on board with his plans. 

She was stubborn and independent, insisting she wasn’t going to take charity and that at least the arrangement she had with the kitchen allowed her to work for what she got there. The first thing he did was a little underhanded. It took him reminding her that she promised Henley that she and Wade would have at least two dinners a week with her and Deacon if her older sister moved in with him like Lacey encouraged, even begged, her to do. The only reason those dinners hadn’t happened was that her sister hadn’t had a chance to have dinners with the way her work schedule kept her busy. Eric told Lacey a small lie and said that Henley asked him to take over the dinners with her brother and sister until her work schedule slowed down. Not wanting to upset and worry Henley, Lacey agreed. 

His next agenda was to make sure they had food in the house for her to make them whenever they weren’t eating with him but to do that he had to agree to let her come clean his apartment in exchange for him buying them food himself. Which he did only grudgingly. He still had no plans on letting things ever get so bad again and if that meant they ate all their meals at his place, then that was what he would do. His buying them food to keep at her apartment was more of a backup plan in his mind.

By the end of the ordeal, Eric found his respect for the young girl growing even more than he already felt. While he hated the situation and that she had suffered at all, he was proud of how she had handled herself and how determined and how much ingenuity she had shown in trying to handle things on her own. As much as he admired and respected that side of her he also vowed that he would never again get so caught up in his own ambitions that he forgot her.

_**~~No Ordinary Love~~** _

Eric did exactly as he planned to do and more often than not the Matheson kids were at his apartment, even when he himself wasn’t at home. They became a constant fixture in his day to day life and he didn’t feel right if he didn’t see or talk to them at least once a day. He found himself looking forward to going home for lunch and Lacey being there, already having something ready so his break could be spent relaxing. 

The more time they spent together the closer they got and the harder it became to just allow things to slide with her parents even though he knew Lacey didn’t want to make a big deal of things because she felt so ashamed of them. He knew he was risking upsetting Lacey and making her angry with him, but it had to be done.

His investigation into why Lacey and Wade didn’t have food turned into investigating her father’s claims of his points being stolen and misused. Eric’s first discovery was that there were significantly fewer amounts of points being added to the family account. This turned out to be because Janice Matheson, Lacey’s mom, hadn’t made any point contributions in a long time. In fact, Janice Matheson has disappeared altogether. He had a bad feeling about where it was headed but he couldn’t _not_ investigate. As a leader, it was his duty but even more important to him as the Matheson kid’s self-appointed protector it was something he refused to fail them on. 

His first thought was that Janice had left for the factionless. This conclusion came to him after discussing things with someone who went through the same initiation as him, Four, and who also had recently discovered that the mother he thought died during childbirth when he was really young had actually abandoned him and fled the abuse of her husband and his father. One of the well-known facts about Lacey’s parents aside from their addictions was that they had a very volatile relationship. It wasn’t uncommon for Janice to be sporting bruises or for them to engage in very public physical fights with each other. Could she have had enough and decided to do the same thing as Evelyn Eaton? This was quickly dismissed after questioning and searching revealed Janice wasn’t among the factionless. Even more investigating revealed that she hadn’t even left the compound in years.

When all was said and done Eric’s investigation led to one man, Edgar Matheson, and one conclusion. Under questioning with the truth serum, he admitted that he killed Janice in a drunken rage over something he couldn’t even remember and then he had disposed of her body by hiding it in with the trash that was set to be incinerated. 

Eric hadn’t wanted it to end the way it did. Not with Lacey losing both her parents in one fell swoop. Certainly not with him having to be the one to break this news to her and have been the one to arrest her father. He could only hope any pain for her loss and anger at the role he played would be lessened or made better by Henley and Deacon being awarded guardianship of her siblings, as well as the two of them, marrying and then all moving into a new place together as a family. 

**_~~No Ordinary Love~~_ **

Bit by bit and over time it did seem to fade for the three siblings and this new family grew stronger and closer than ever. Henley finally got on a normal schedule and the entire family, Eric included, had at least one meal together every week. On the days when Henley or Deacon needed to work later, Lacey and Wade could be found at Eric’s place or he would just come to their apartment and eat there. 

The family he found in Dauntless by no means replaced his family in Erudite and he remained in contact with them as much as being in a different faction would allow. Lacey seemed to understand the most that while Eric never mentioned how much the distance and restrictions bothered him, he did miss them. She helped ease that for him by befriending his brother and sister who attended school with her, becoming a bridge that connected his two families. 

When he looked back later he would realize that this was the first step in his feelings for her changing and falling in love with Lacey Matheson.

But the only kind of love Eric had ever known was the kind he felt for his family. He hadn’t ever felt about anyone the way Henley and Deacon felt for each other. Growing up he didn’t even have his parents to look to for that kind of relationship either. They got along well enough and were decent parents but they were far from warm to their children and definitely looked at each other as acceptable partners and companions rather than lovers. 

There were many occasions where Eric realized he cared for Lacey a little more than he should but he was always able to explain it away. He was able to rationalize it in his mind that he felt so much more for Lacey because of all that she had been through, what they went through together, and how protective that made him of her. 

Things started to change as she got older though. 

It was around the time she turned sixteen. It seemed like the years passed by in a blink and now the day of her choosing was suddenly coming up. He wasn’t prepared for it and was in disbelief that it could be happening so soon. Eric _had_ noticed that she was growing up and maturing but only in a general kind of way. It was more him recognizing her emotional and intellectual maturity. Their conversations and interactions had changed as she got older and he started seeing her as more of an equal or even a peer instead of the little girl he needed to protect. As far as the physical changes she definitely started to go through, he put blinders on to those. Refusing to see or acknowledge them in any kind of way. Denying even the slightest hint of his body responding to her in ways that he found highly inappropriate. 

The day of the ceremony Eric was calm. Confident that her choice would be Dauntless. Her test had only been a preliminary to what he already knew, that no matter how intelligent she was or how kind she could be, she was much more Dauntless than either of those things. Just this morning he waved away her joking around with him that just because the test had said Dauntless didn’t mean she had to pick it, or that she would. 

_“I’ve heard Amity is beautiful in the fall and we both know how much I’ve always loved my visits there.” Lacey slyly remarked over the breakfast table._

_“Nah, you would never make it past the first night with that bunch of hippies.” He muttered with a cocky smirk._

Now he watches her as she waits for her name to be called and a feeling of overwhelming panic and dread come over him so suddenly it would take him to his knees if he weren’t already sitting. 

What if she really did leave him? What if she picked somewhere else other than Dauntless? 

Lacey had become very close to his sister and brother over the years...would she choose to transfer to Erudite to be with them? 

Then there was that Amity boy that always seemed to be hanging around her at school when he went to pick her up and it was clear he had feelings for her. Did Lacey feel the same enough to want to be with him? 

No way. He couldn’t lose her!

It was then all his willful blindness, all his denial, was ripped away from him and he realized what he had been thinking. He realized the panic and the dread also contained jealousy and hurt at the thought of her ever being with anyone...or at least...being with anyone but him.

It was like unlocking Pandora's box. Now that the thought and realization was there it wouldn’t go back in that damn box. 

It only grew and got worse...and then one night, he was too weak to fight it anymore.

  
  



	2. Part 2 - Dangerous Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theirs was not an ordinary love. After all, you aren't supposed to fall in love with someone you consider family even you don't share the same blood. But they were in each other's veins too deep. They only had one night together. One night to be shameless and to finally act on the feelings that had haunted them for longer than either could admit. Afterward, the only thing that was left was to pick up the pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part Title Inspired By: Dangerous Night; Thirty Second To Mars

**Part 2- Dangerous Night**

* * *

> **I**
> 
> **I am a man on fire**
> 
> **You**
> 
> **A violent desire**
> 
> **What a dangerous night to fall in love**
> 
> **Don’t know why we still hide what we’ve become**
> 
> **Do you wanna cross the line?**
> 
> **We’re running out of time**
> 
> **A dangerous night to fall in love**

* * *

**_Eric_ **

At some point over the last few years, someone within the city government had come up with a brilliant idea to bring back old traditions and celebrations that died out after the wars and disasters that brought civilization as it had been to a halt. Each faction was encouraged to take part. Sometimes this was done as interfaction events while others, each faction did their own thing and kept to themselves. 

Some of these traditions and celebrations weren’t all that bad. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and New Year were among the most commonly recognized occasions and had already had some levels of celebration in most of the factions before they were resurrected citywide. 

Others, like Valentine's Day and Halloween, were complete nightmares and Eric cursed Max for ever agreeing to bring them back in the first place. Eric had been fully against it and voted them down when he was still just Second in Command. Max, being the Senior leader made the final decision and cast his vote for the holidays to be full of faction celebrations, with costumes and everything. Then the bastard retired and left the entire mess for Eric to deal with when he took the Senior Leader position. 

That was three years ago now and it’s been a huge damn headache for him ever since. Like Dauntless really needed a reason to act like a bunch of asses or an excuse for a night of drunken debauchery? The only difference between every other day in the faction and Halloween were the costumes everyone dressed up in.

The only good part of the damn holiday for Eric was the surprising amount of revenue it produced for Dauntless. Out of all the factions in the city, Candor and Amity decided to celebrate Halloween as well and hold separate festivities in their own factions. Because Dauntless seemed to do so well on their own costumes and decorations, those two factions put in requests to buy them. 

The costumes for Amity and Candor were a bit less scandalous than what Dauntless, or the female portion at least, leaned towards. There was a variety of  _ ‘sexy’ _ everything, from nurses to nuns. 

But it wasn’t just the adults that got to play. The kids weren’t left out and during the day the entire compound had different things set up for them, like games with prizes, trick or treating, and even a haunted house. Things wrapped up for the dependents with a special dinner held in the dining hall. As soon as the dinner wrapped up and nighttime fell, it became all about the adults. 

No dependents allowed. 

Eric had to set boundaries and enforce some rules, like no public sex or orgies, but otherwise, it wasn’t as bad as it could be. While he did attend the various celebrations he refused to dress up in any way. 

No one expected him to either, not even Lacey. Even though she always dressed up for this holiday. They had established their own traditions and she was always with him for the day, which made things much more bearable to him. Except for this year, she wasn’t and it showed in Eric’s mood. 

He did try to not be a complete dick though because there was still Wade with him. It’s his last year as a dependent so he had been excited about his last Halloween in Dauntless. They made a guys night of it. Hitting up some of the games for the older kids, the rock climbing wall, and the games that involved shooting or throwing darts and knives for prizes. They finished it off with the dinner in the dining hall that was heavy on the sweets. Then Wade went off with some of his friends where they were going to be holding their own night time party safe behind closed doors of an apartment. Eric was pretty sure someone was going to sneak in some booze but he just shrugged and told Wade he was old enough to make the choice but warned him to not overdo it if he did indulge. 

As the time got closer when all the kids would be ushered back home so the adults could have their turn, Eric’s mood started to turn even sourer. He tried not to but he couldn’t help it when he thought of why Lacey wasn’t with him like she always was. 

Because she had a fucking date. She didn’t actually say that was why she was bailing on him, but what else could it be? 

The more he thought about that the more he drank and the worse his mood became. 

He had been so sure he took care of the last guy that had been sniffing around Lacey. His name was Aaron and he worked in the armory. He was a pretty boy with blonde hair and a deep tan that just looked odd to Eric but all the girls seemed to drool over. They called it a ‘ _ surfer look _ ’. The punk had a reputation for being a charmer but wasn’t exactly a player. His thing seemed to be going after the girls that were labeled as hard to get. The ones that might not be so ready to give him the time of day, were already involved, or in Lacey’s case...a well known good girl and a rumored virgin. It was also known that she was a bit of a social hermit. Lacey was not one to go out and party much and could usually be found at home hanging out with her family or friends. 

Word got back to Eric that Aaron had his sights set on Lacey and he had been heard to say he was going to take on the ‘goliath’ of the faction. Eric almost lost it when Four, who is his Second in Command now, told him what he overheard one night. The only reason Four told him at all was that he didn’t want to see Lacey get hurt. Normally Four was the one lecturing him that Eric needed to back off and let Lacey make her own decisions about who she wanted to date. He kept reminding him that she’s an adult, at twenty years old, and the more overbearing Eric became the more likely she was to do the exact opposite of what he wanted just to spite him. It hadn’t been hard to see that at least this last part was right because there was a definite distance between them that had been growing wider this last year. 

It killed him to think it, but he knew he needed to let her go. 

Despite knowing this he couldn’t just let her be a conquest and neither could Four. So Four and he came up with a plan to intimidate him into backing off without actually threatening him or telling him outright that was what he needed to do. They executed this plan one day at lunch where they sat at the same table as Aaron. Eric was directly across from him while Four took the space beside him. 

The table got quiet when the two main leaders of the faction sat down. There was an immediate tension in the air and those at the table knew that someone must have done something to bring their attention to them, which couldn’t end well for whoever the poor soul was. It didn’t take long for others to realize who the person was, Eric’s very cold and piercing glare said it all. Aaron was obviously aware of the attention on him but Eric could tell he was fighting hard to not let his unease show. 

Four got things started for them, as planned. 

“Hey, Eric. Isn’t it about time to add fresh blood to the fence rotation?” Four asks offhandedly as if it just occurred to him.

Eric couldn’t stop the smirk that crossed his face. “Yep. It should be easy to fill in this year.”

Four smirked a little too. “Oh yeah? So we have a few victims...errr...I mean volunteers?”

Eric shrugged. “There are always a few of those. Then there are always those guys that find themselves on the fence after deciding it would be a good idea to go mess with things or people they have no business messing with. Guys that like to jerk around girls in ways that, should someone important to them find out, would think fence duty is getting off lightly.” He had started out casually but continued in a quiet menacing tone. 

Aaron got the point. Eric could tell by the subtle swallow and tense shifting. He had to give it to the punk that he didn’t up and run away immediately. Aaron sat there for a few ticks before standing and after a respectful nod towards the two leaders, he walked away leaving his still full tray on the table.

That had been that. He never heard about Aaron and Lacey again and hadn’t seen them together either. So where the fuck was she at tonight?

Eric restlessly roams around the Pit looking for her without trying to acknowledge that’s what he’s doing. He makes his rounds to the different parties being hosted by people he knows, making his customary appearance to let them all know he has his eyes on things and they better not fuck up. When that’s done he decides to head to his favorite club to have a few more drinks at the bar there. He’s actually looking forward to a special brew they were having brought in fresh from Amity. He was told it’s somewhat of a beer but is actually more of a boozy spiced apple cider. 

He orders one and licks his lips in pleasure after a few big draws from the cold glass thinking that he might want to see about getting more of it throughout the year, it’s  _ that _ good. He can already tell it’s going to be the kind of drink that packs a punch that the person drinking it won’t notice because it just tastes that damn good.  Eric’s one glass down when he orders another right after and realizes he might need to take his own advice and go easy if the buzzing in his blood is any indication of how potent it is. He’s in mid-drink and letting his eyes roam over the club when he realizes it’s not a drink that has his skin feeling electrified...it’s Lacey. She’s near.

She has that effect on him and has for a few years now. Just her being near and his body lights up. It’s like his blood became thick and heavy, pulsing with liquid fire and metal. Lacey was like a magnet and she pulled him towards her every time.

He narrows his eyes, scanning the crowds more thoroughly but not seeing her. At least, he wasn’t registering  _ what _ he was seeing at first when his eyes locked onto one person that he just  _ knew _ was her but couldn’t wrap his mind around how she looked. 

Lacey stood just across the room from him at a high top bar table with a glass of something in her hand and carrying on a conversation with some dude he couldn’t recognize because of his own costume. If he didn’t have the awareness of her that he does he would never have believed it could be her. 

Lacey always took part in dressing up for Halloween but she was never one to go with the outrageously skimpy outfits most of the other women went with. Sometimes they were outrageously nerdy, like when she crafted an entire armor set that resembled ones from a pre-war game they both liked to play called Mass Effect. Eric even helped her with it after she bribed him to. Then there was the year she and Wade decided to wear matching costumes but let Wade choose what they would be of. He picked Guardians of the Galaxy with Lacey going as Gamora and him being Starlord. They had made Eric a very small name tag that said Drax the Destroyer on it. He wore the damn thing but only because it was about the only acceptable way he would ever consider dressing up.

The point was, she never went for overtly sexy costumes. That wasn’t the point for her. It was all about having fun picking it out and making it herself and it was always something that she had an interest or love for. And Eric fucking loved that about her because it showed she hadn’t lost that side of her where she was free to be a kid at heart. He loved that she gave no fucks about what everyone else was going to think of her costume, all that mattered was if she liked it. What Lacey was in tonight was so far removed from years past it had his head spinning. 

She is in one of the almost obscenely skimpy ones that Dauntless produces and sells. It’s made up of a crop top corset with a cap-sleeved crop peasant shirt underneath and way too damn short skirt. That’s all paired with black thigh highs with intricate lace bands at the top that are clearly showing because the skirt is that short, and ends in black ankle high heeled boots. Her already long legs are showcased by the combination of bare skin and sheer black hose. 

The theme of the costume is clearly Little Red Riding Hood and it came complete with a small deep-red hooded cape. The rich red color highlighted her skin tone perfectly. She didn’t stop there with the additions to her costume though, it looked like she decided to go all out. Over her face, she wore a black lace filigree masquerade mask that did a good job obscuring her features enough that no one would instantly know it was her. Covering her deep brown hair she wore a blood-red wig that he could admit complemented her skin but still couldn’t hold a candle to the color of her own hair.

He didn’t know why she was here, what she was doing and who the hell she was with, but one thing he was certain of was that Lacey had obviously gone far out of her way to not be recognized at all. Even the fact that she was here of all places with none of her friends anywhere near hinted that this was all done with a purpose.

Lacey tilts her head back and laughs at something being said by the guy chatting her up and it hits Eric what the purpose of her entire get-up is about when he realizes she’s obviously flirting.

What the fuck! This isn’t at all like Lacey.

He’s debating how to put a stop to this when he sees the asshole she’s with gesturing to her cup and saying something. He must be asking her if she wants a refill. She hesitates for a moment, biting her lower lip in thought before she hands him the cup with a nod. Eric zeroes on the guy, watching his every move as he walks to the bar with a smile and asks for two refills. Because there’s no way he’s taking his eyes off him or letting him leave with his girl, he also watches as the guy makes a subtle movement over the top of one of the glasses and lets something drop into it before he turns and heads back to Lacey with the cups.

_ Oh Hell no! _

Eric has to push aside the rage, knowing they need to act quickly. He taps on the bar and gives the bartender a pointed glare who recognizes it for what it means. Then Eric is flanked by the bartender as he makes his way over to Lacey where he then waits for Eric’s further instructions just a few steps away from them where they will take care of the rest after Eric makes sure Lacey is safe.

By the time Eric made it over there she’s just lifting the cup to take a drink but still hasn’t made contact yet. He reaches out and snatches it from her hands while snarling at the guy to back off. He didn’t really expect that he would get any back talk and he doesn’t. The guy might have even squeaked a little as he backed up into the waiting hands of the bar staff. “You know where to take him, make sure you get this tested too.” Eric instructs the staff after he hands over the glass.

Then Eric takes a breath before turning to face Lacey, finally.

“Do you always accept drinks from random men?” He growled out angrily.

Her eyes widen and he notices now that he’s up close she also added colored contacts. They are a solid bright green color. 

Why is she going to such lengths to disguise herself?

“I...I don't normally do any of this.” Her tone changed from the first gasped word. She changed the inflection to be deeper, husky...more seductive.

It had his jaw clenching and his nostrils flaring. Being this close to her in that state is wreaking havoc on his body and control.

“Little tip for you then, Red. Never accept open container drinks and never leave your drink unattended. Period. But especially someone you don’t know the first thing about.” He moved closer as he spoke and smirked when Lacey unconsciously moved back. She had already been practically against the wall and now her back was solidly pressed up against it.

He knew he should back off, especially given how he’s feeling right now. Seeing her with that guy and dressed the way she is fired up the possessive and jealous feelings he normally fights so hard to contain. But her pull is just too damn strong and he’s too worked up to resist allowing himself to move in closer. So damn close that his body is now crowding hers in. He lifts his arms and plants them to either side of her shoulders, blocking her in and brushing his body against hers.

He watches her throat work as she swallows nervously then she takes a breath and opens her mouth to speak..but nothing happens at first. “Mary…” She whispers shakily. Eric tilts his head and pulls back enough to look at her a bit better, frowning and not understanding what she said. “My name’s Mary.” Lacey’s voice has a bit more volume now but it’s still uncertain and has an edge to it, one he recognizes all too well when she’s being self-deprecating or sarcastic.

Eric’s eyebrows lift so high in disbelief they almost go into his hairline as he waits for her to say she’s joking or something like that, but she doesn’t. She smiles a crooked smile. He realizes just how far she’s taking this disguise by using an alias and he wonders if he should call her out on it right now. If he should tell her that there was never a chance he wasn’t going to recognize her no matter what lengths she went to. 

Something stops him from doing that...a voice in his head that starts whispering things he should ignore and fight against, but he’s just too damn tired of fighting anymore. 

He lets his eyes roam over her and not bothering to hide the appreciative way he takes her in, for once. 

Lacey is tall even without the heeled boots she’s wearing but with them on they put her at almost exactly the same height as him. Her lips are touched with the most wicked and tempting shade of red, making the natural pout and thickness even more pronounced. The swell of her breasts and her creamy skin were purposely being pushed up by the corset top and left him salivating. For once Lacey wasn’t trying to hide the curves her body developed over the last few years. Taunting and dick hardening curves that she plays down in the clothes she wears from day-to-day. There’s not a chance of that in this getup.

His perusal of her stops when he gets to her midriff that is bare. In all her efforts to disguise herself, she had forgotten the very distinctive birthmark on her right side resting on her lower abs area. It’s a faded rust-brown color in the shape of a scorpion, complete with claws, tail and a stinger that curves to the left. Maybe she thought it would like a tattoo so didn’t bother trying to hide it or maybe she didn’t think anyone would know she has something like that at all. Eric knew of it because Henley had remarked on it being something else passed on from her dad’s side of the family and he had seen it for himself one time. Just a brief glimpse but enough for him to have it burned in his memory. 

Seeing it now fully for the first time is only driving his desire for her even higher and images of him with his lips working that spot over have any thought of stopping this charade flying right out of his mind. He decides he’s not going to fight it. It’s obvious she doesn’t want him to know it’s her and he’s curious how far she’s wanting to take that.

“Mary?” He finally said in amusement when he looked back into her eyes. She shrugs with a smile playing on her lips. “So, what are you doing here?” His eyes narrowed as he searched for the answers in hers but she had stopped his ability to read things there when she put in the contacts.

Lacey licked her lips as her breathing picked up. Her chest heaved a little as she slowly reached out and put a long delicate looking hand on his arm. Right at the bulge of his bicep and where the skin was bare there.

The simple touch had the blood pounding in his ears and made his nostrils flare.

“It seemed like a good night to lose myself. Maybe become someone else. Someone that takes what she wants for a change.” Her answer was a breathy whisper.

It sent shivers down his back while at the same time anger coursing through him when he remembered her letting that dickhead chat her up. Was it her intention to give her innocence to just anyone? 

“And what exactly is it that you want, Red?” He growled out as he used his other hand to grip her waist and jerk her against him.

She gasped and gripped his arm tighter. “Well, I'm Red Riding Hood, right? What would she be without her wolf? That’s why I’m here, to find him.” She replied after a few seconds pause, her voice dropped to that husky, seductive one again.

“Just any old wolf would do, huh?” His jaw was clenched as he asked it angrily.

For a moment, even through the contacts that concealed her normally expressive eyes, he saw sadness flash in them. “No. I was hoping to catch  _ my _ big bad wolf.” She replied in a tremulous whisper but her eyes held his meaningfully.

He couldn’t fucking believe it. She wasn’t here for some random hook up. There was a reason she picked his favorite club, the one she knew he would slip off to so he could have a few drinks after the madness this holiday always brought him. It was one of his fucking routines and she knew all of those by heart. 

The costume, the disguise, using another name...it was all meant for him. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

It shouldn’t surprise him. There had been signs of it for years. Looks they shared or how she reacted to him at times. The most he had been willing to admit to was that she might have a crush but that she grew out of it. He always denied them as being real signs of attraction on her part and put anything else down to him reading into things too much because he desperately wanted them to be real and not just his imagination.

He couldn’t make that mistake now. He needed to be sure this is what he thought it was.

“Did you find him?” He purred out as he ghosted his lips near her ear.

She shivered in his embrace and dug her nails into his arms. “I have. Unless it turns out he’s all bark and no bite.” She taunted playfully. 

Eric pulled back with a smirk on his lips and desire in his eyes. There was still a small part holding him back. Part of him needed to give her the out if this wasn’t what she wanted or if she had second thoughts. There was also a part of him that wanted to scare her off. Because if she backed down now, they could possibly pretend this night never happened and carry on as normal. He could go back to living in denial about his feelings for her and she could go on never knowing how fucked up he really was with all the terrible things he wants to do to her.

“Let's cut the shit, Red. I want you but I'm not some little boy that will be nice, sweet and gentle about it. Do you know what that means? The things I’m going to do to you?” 

Even as he said the words he was also sending up silent prayers she wouldn’t back down. That he hadn’t or wouldn’t scare her off...because he wanted this. He needed this. Just one fucking night with her. He could never have more...but this...maybe he could really let her go if they had this one night together.

“Tell me, Eric. What are you going to do to me?” She replied with no fear and no hesitation. Only a slight tremble in her voice that was thick with desire.

Eric paused to gather himself and moved the arm that rested on the wall by her head to cup the back of her neck possessively. 

He leaned in so their bodies were pressed tightly together, letting her feel the clear evidence of his arousal. “If you think all that’s going to happen is me fucking you, you’re wrong, Red. I’m not  _ just _ going to fuck you. I’m going to  _ own _ you. Every part of you will be mine to do with as I please but I’m also going to make you come undone for me so many times you will remember nothing but my name as you scream it over and over. I’m going to ruin you for anyone else so that you will lay awake at night remembering and craving me.” He rasped, his forehead pressed against hers.

And he meant every damn word.  _ Especially _ about ruining her...just as she had already ruined him for anyone else.

He felt the gasped breath and the trembling in her body. He pulled back to see if he had scared her off with the rawness of his admission but again, he saw only desire. She shifted and tried to clench her thighs together. Her chest was heaving, pushing her breasts out even further than her top did. She licked her lips and a small moan escaped them.

It filled him with relief and resolve. 

With a smirk, he lifted his chin towards her to indicate it was her turn to answer. “Do you want that?”

She nodded her head in two tight jerky motions but Eric shook his head. That wasn’t good enough. He needed to hear her say it, say the words and tell him exactly what she wanted him to do to her. 

“Say it. Tell me what  _ you  _ want.” He commanded her.

She took a big breath and lifted her chin. “I want you, Eric. I want you to take me. To...to fuck me until I can't see straight, think straight. Until there is only you….nothing else.”

He groaned and buried his head in the exposed crook of her neck, tasting the flesh there. She tasted exactly like the scent she always left in her wake when she was near. Citrus and honeysuckle. He pulled himself away after eliciting whimpered moans from her. He stepped back and took a breath. 

“Last chance to run home to grandma, Red. Are you sure?”

He knew that would have her back going straight in defiance, and it did. She stepped forward, her eyes narrowed and chin squared in determination. “I'm sure,  _ Wolf _ .” Then her eyes softened a little. “No regrets.” She said in a whispered promise.

Eric nodded and took her hand in his. “No regrets” His reply was an internal, hopeful prayer that he could keep his own promise.

He pulled her close to his side, then without another word they made their way out of the bar together to his apartment.

**Author's Note:**

> Character Inspiration or Face claims:  
> Eric Coulter: (Original Casting) Jai Courtney  
> Lacey Matheson: Phoebe Tonkin (Haley Marshall from the Originals)


End file.
